Jitters: A Stephaim One Shot
by The Red One - Stevie Rae
Summary: A little headcanon I have because Rephaim is the most adorable thing ever. Disclaimer: I don't own the characters


Rephaim awoke to a strange smell. His newly human nostrils strained to place it. He was still half-asleep, and too lazy at this point to open his eyes. That is, until the bed shifted next to him and he sensed the weight of Stevie Rae, his Stevie Rae.

"Hey, sleepyhead," she smiled, running her fingers through his hair.

"What is that intoxicating smell?"

"You?" She leaned over him and kissed him. For a minute, he lost himself in her. This was all still so new. He shouldn't be able to experience these things. Yet, here he was, opening his lips, his _totally human_ lips to take in the warmth that was Stevie Rae. She was so soft. Perfect.

But that smell. It was still there, so strong, even with Stevie Rae so close. What could possibly smell so strong?

Noticing his confusion, she pulled away. "What?"

"What is that?"

"What are you talking about?"

"That smell. Did you bring something into the room with you when you returned?"

"Just a cup of coffee."

"What?"

She reached toward the end table on her side of the bed, and when she turned back, she had a little cup with a handle on it that held a light brown liquid inside. "Coffee."

Rephaim leaned in, smelling the liquid. "Yes!" he exclaimed so excitedly that Stevie Rae almost spilled her coffee trying to stifle her giggle. "Yes! That is the smell! What is it?"

"It's coffee. Humans often drink it in the morning…I don't know, I just like the way it tastes."

"I have never smelled such a thing." He was still looking at it quizzically. He was just so darn cute Stevie Rae could barely contain herself.

"Where did you acquire such a thing?"

"Oh, we used Aphrodite's credit card to pick up a Keurig. It's in by the refrigerator. You remember what that is, right?"

Rephaim smiled. Yes, he remembered the refrigerator. He quite liked the refrigerator. He couldn't remember how he had gone so long without such a glorious thing in his life. "Yes, I know where the refrigerator is."

"Would you like to taste it?"

"The refrigerator?"

"No, silly. The coffee."

"Oh, yes!"

"You may not like it." Her eyebrows furrowed as she handed him the mug. "It can be a bit of an acquired tas…"

"YAAARGHHH!"

"OHMYGOODNESS! I should have warned you it's hot…"

"I'm ok…I was just not expecting…"

She blew on the liquid in the cup. "Here, now just take a little sip." Rephaim lowered his lips again to the cup, very cautiously. So cautiously that Stevie Rae had to hold her breath so as not to laugh. She didn't want him to think she was laughing at him getting hurt. This time, Rephaim slurped just a little bit into his mouth, and now that he could taste it…well, how couldn't he taste it? The stuff practically assaulted his mouth! It was so strong and so unique and…and so incredibly wonderful!

Forgetting for a moment his first experience with the brown liquid, Rephaim tried to down the whole cup. Then it came back to him, the scalding heat against his tongue…

"Careful!" Stevie Rae yelped, grabbing the mug from against his lips. He smiled sheepishly and raised his eyes to hers.

"This is the most wonderful thing I have ever tasted," he exclaimed. After the slightest pause, he corrected himself, "except for you."

Stevie Rae blushed and pecked him on the lips. "Do you want me to show you how to use the Keurig?"

"Will it deliver me more of this coffee?"

She laughed, "Yes."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

When the couple arrived at the kitchen, Zoey, Shaunee, and Aphrodite were there talking. Rephaim burst excitedly into the room, forgetting that the other three were still adjusting to his presence. "Stevie Rae is going to show me how to Cure coffee!"

"No…it's called the Keurig. It's a…here. Come here." She grabbed his hand and led him away from the group, all too aware of the slightly uncomfortable, very confused faces. He followed her like a puppy who was expecting a treat. She reached out and pressed a button on a little black contraption and…

Rephaim hit the floor. The thing lit up and started growling at him! This new thing…he didn't know its power. He didn't know what he needed to do to fight it. Best to hide until he came up with a plan. All four girls erupted in laughter. This was _not_ funny. They were being attacked!

"Are you ok?" Stevie Rae crouched down to him.

Not taking his hands from over his eyes, he spat, "get down! We don't know what we're dealing with!"

"That's the Keurig."

He did raise his head then. "What?"

"That's just the noise the Keurig makes when it heats up."

Oh, boy, he did feel stupid now. "Hey, it's ok," Stevie Rae cooed, extending her hand to help him up. He felt his cheeks flush red.

"You know, maybe it doesn't need to make that noise. It doesn't need to heat up. It's hot enough already!"

"One taste of cold coffee, and you'll probably change your mind," Stevie Rae said.

Rephaim simply hrmphed. The thing stopped growling and Stevie Rae turned to face it.

"Hey," Zoey piped up. "Stevie Rae, could we have you for a minute?"

"One sec, I wanna show Rephaim how to use this."

"Ok, just be quick."

"Ok." Rephaim watched intently as Stevie Rae grabbed a small, cylindrical container. "Ok, you get one of these from in this box. There's all different kinds; you can experiment to find what you like best. This is the kind I like." He memorized the label. "Ok, then, you get a mug outta here…" she reached into the cabinet and got him a clean mug.

"Where's the coffee?"

"Patience."

"But where is it? Where does it come from?"

"In here." She shook the little plastic cylinder.

He took it from her and started to pick at the lid.

"No! No, no you don't…wait, just…" she wrestled it away from him "ugh…be patient."

He pouted and let her have the coffee. "Watch me," she warned. He rolled his eyes, but he obeyed. He wanted to know where the coffee came from.

She put the mug on a little platform on the contraption. Then, she pushed a little lever and he jumped as the demon _popped_ open. She set the cylinder inside, which he wanted to protest, but he forced himself to stay silent. Then, she pressed it closed again, pushed a little button and…

Oh Goddess! It was growling again! Rephaim jumped and held his breath, but he didn't hit the floor this time. One embarrassment was enough for today. And then that aroma hit him again. Coffee had begun to stream from the mouth of the little demon! Oh, Stevie Rae! He could kiss her! She went to the refrigerator. The refrigerator! He tagged along, and she pulled out a bottle.

"This is creamer. This is the kind I used in the cup you tried." She shook it and popped the lid open. You just pour a little bit, until it starts to turn the same color as the kind in my cup, here. And then you stir it. Can you handle that?"

He nodded so exuberantly she was surprised he didn't snap his neck. He was just so Goddess-darned adorable that she couldn't even bear it. She kissed him, square on his lips, ignoring the gasp from, she guessed, Aphrodite, and then left him to join the other girls.

"Ready?" Zoey asked.

"Yeah…what's goin' on?"

"Another poem," Aphrodite grumbled.

"Yeah, and it doesn't look too good," Shaunee trailed. Stevie Rae cast another glance at her soul mate.

Zoey grabbed her attention back. "We were gonna come get you and then go meet Kramisha in her room before Darius gets here with the bus. I mean, you are her Priestess and all."

"Yeah," Stevie Rae sighed, "I should be there to help y'all figure it out." She looked back to Rephaim, whose smile took up his entire face as he sipped the cup of coffee she'd made him. "You gonna be ok for a few minutes until the bus gets here?"

He nodded, not removing his lips from the mug. She smiled, and followed the other three toward Kramisha's room.

Why did poetry have to be so damn confusing? Couldn't it just say what it meant for once, instead of using some sort of code? Ugh. They still hadn't quite gotten it…although they were pretty sure it had something to do with Kalona. And fire. So Shaunee? Or maybe it was a fire caused by Neferet? Anyway, they were already running late, so the five of them had run out to join the others on the bus. As they were getting settled, Stevie Rae took the seat she had been in for the past few trips and…

Where was Rephaim?

"Darius, did Rephaim come out yet?"

"No, Priestess. I didn't even know if he was planning on coming."

Stevie Rae groaned and ran back into the tunnels. She was heading toward her room when she heard a noise from the kitchen. She turned to investigate and was practically tackled to the ground. Lips were against hers. Lips that tasted very strongly of coffee.

"Thank you thank you thank you you are the bestest is bestest a word I do not even care you are so wonderful thank you!"

"Rephaim, what…?" She pushed him off of her and rose to see, ohmygoodness, a pitcher. A_ pitcher! _A pitcher that was almost empty.

"You are great I love you haha! Don't you love the way that sounds? I love you I LOVE YOU you are fantastic I thought that the little monster was growling at me again but then…" he was literally bouncing. And making her head hurt.

"Slow down…"

"Then it gave me MORE COFFEE can you believe it it was a miracle!"

"STOP! Rephaim, did you make an entire _pitcher_ of coffee."

He laughed. A full, chesty, throw-your-head-back kind of laugh. Oh, how she loved that laugh. "No! Silly!"

"Oh thank the Goddess."

"No, I made three pitchers. And that was only because I had the two cups before that and it just didn't hold enough so then…"

"You drank THREE PITCHERS of coffee?"

"And two cups, pay attention."

"Stevie Rae…"

"ZOEY! Look did you know about coffee this stuff is wonderful…"

Zoey staggered backward as Rephaim leapt toward her. "Yes, I know about coffee." She turned to Stevie Rae. "We're gonna be late. Can you bring your, uh…"

"I had never had coffee before not until today but now look at me you know I do not think I will ever drink anything else ever again I am so happy!"

"He drank three pitchers of this stuff," Stevie Rae said over Rephaim's incessant babbling.

"You don't say," Zoey winced. "Can you rein him in; we have to go."

Stevie Rae grabbed the still babbling Rephaim and pulled him toward the bus.

"You know maybe I should start bringing a cup of coffee to each of my classes ooh do you think Father would enjoy coffee maybe Father would be happy if we showed him the Coffee Curer…"


End file.
